Water heater and steam generator



A. H. KOHLMEYER WATER HEATER AND STEAM GENERATOR ofi' Filed June 6, 3.919 4 Sheets-Sheet l Smog May 19, 1925. 1,538,436

A. H. KOHLMEYER WATER HEATER AND STEAM GENERATOR Ofiginal Filed June 6, 1919 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 WW w wekm Hume 1p May 19, 1925. 1 1,538,436

A. H. KOHLMEYER' J WATER HEATER AND STEAM GENERATOR 4 sheets sheet S H I 1 ml lml l w May 19, 1925. 1,538,436

A. H. KOHLMEYER WATER HEATER AND STEAM GENERATOR ori i al Filed June 6, 1919 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 77121". supp aru 75 Ad M23117 ca 1% WWW/4mm Patented May 19, 1925.

UNITED STATES 'PATENTOFFICE- AUousrH; KOHLMEYER, or DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

WATER HEATER AND STEAM GENERATOR.

.Application. filed June 6, 1919, Serial No. 302,181. Renewed October 24, 1924. 2

same coils or other containers for alternatively heating steam.

It is the object of the invention to subject a thermostat to the temperature of the hot water or steam produced by such a device water] and generating Mnit provide mechanism actuable by said thermostat for automatically regulating th application of heat to the water. In the use of the inventionin connection with a water heater having afire-box or combustion chamber, it is an object of the invention to regulate the draft to said firebox automatically by means of a thermostat subjected to the temperature of the hot water or steam pro'duced'by the device.

It is an objectofthe invention also to secure an automatic increase in the amount of heat applied to the coils or other con- 2 parts as hereinafter fully described.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of an apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention, a portion of the casing thereof being broken away to show interior features;

Figure 2 is a side elevation'of the same;

Figure 3 is a plan view omitting the water tank which Figures 1 and 2 disclose;

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic view showing the arrangement of water coils in the heater;

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional View of the main valve controlling the water supply to the heater and controlling also delivery of steam or water therefrom;

Figure 6 is a horizontal sectional view of the same; I

F igure? is an end view of the same;

Figure 8 is a vertical sectional view of the thermostat employed in the invention; 7

Figure 91s a horizontal sectional view of the same, the section being taken on the line 99 of Figure 8.

I In these views, the reference character 1 designates the casing of a combined water heater and steam' generator, said casing being preferably formed of sheet metal and cylindrical in shape. In the lower portion a if of said casing a fire-box 2 is formed above the grate 2, 3 being the usual fuel feed door giving access to the firerbox. Below the grate 2 the usual ash-pit 4 is provided. In the upper portion of the casing 1 there is provided a drum 4?, preferably depending from the top of the casing 1 and spaced slightly inwardly from saidcasing. In the upper portion of said drum there is arranged a horizontal baflie plate 4, whereby the hot gases arising from the fire-box are directed into proximity with the coil 9 and drum 4 as they rise toward the smoke outlet 5.

associated a hot water tank 6, preferably located above the water heater proper. as

shown in Figures 1 and 2, said tank being supported by hangers 7 and having inlet and outlet pipes 7 and 7 respectively cominunicating with its top and bottom.

Within the casing 1 there are located the water heating coils 8. and 9, the former forming a lining for the fire-box and the latter being located Within the drum l, a series connection between saidcoils being establishedexteriorly of the casing 1, as indicated at .10. The coil 9 is formed of larger pipe than the coil 8 for the reason that the latter is a double coil providing two paths for the water (see Fig. 4). Pipes 11 and 12 form a line through which the water passes from the tank 6 to the lower end of the coil '8, control valve 13, hereinafter specifically de-' scribed, being located between said pipes. The return ofthe circulating waterv to the tank takes place through a line formed by pipes 14 and 15, said pipes having interposed therebetween the valvecasing 13 and also a thermostat 16, the function of which is hereinafter made clear.

At each side of the fuel feed doorthere is disposed a Water header 17, the two headers being connected by spirally inclined pipes 18 extending adjacent to the side and rear portions of the casing 1. Between the upper portion of said casing and the drum 1 there is arranged a coil 19 which communicates with one of the headers 17, as is indicated at 20. Circulating water is delivered to the heating pipes 18 and 19 by the pipe 21 from the tank 6, said pipe communicating with the lower extremity of one of the headers 17, the return to the tank being through the pipe 22 which connects with the upper end of the coil 19. A number of faucets 23 are suitably arranged for flushing out the several heating pipes when desired, which taucets may be used also to draw oft hot water.

Describing now the specific construction of the control valve, the reference character 2% designates a tapering plug fitting within the correspondingly shaped casing 13 and provided with the axially spaced ports 25 and 26 extending transversely therethrough and having their axes 90 apart, the former being adapted to register with the aligned pipes 11 and 12 and the latter registrable with the pipes 14 and 15. The port 25 has two relatively small ports 2? connecting therewith in a direction transverse thereto, one of said small ports being positioned to communicate with the pipe 12, when the plug is properly adjusted, in which position of the plug the other port 27 registers with a bypass 28 having the discharge opening 29 leading to the pipe 11.

The port 26 has communicating therewith two small ports 30, one of which is adapted to register, when the plug is properly adjusted, with the pipe 14:, while the other in said position of the plug communicates with a valve chamber 81 and through said cham her with the steam delivery line 32. Vithin said chamber 31 is located the chec :-valve 33 opposing the passage of steam from said chamber to the pipe 32, said valve being normally held seated by a spring 3a, the tension of which is regulable by means of the adjusting screw 35.

The opening 29 leading from the bypass 28 is adapted to be closed by a stem 36, screw-threaded in the lower portion of the casing 13 and consequently adjustable through rotation to or from its seat. Said stem is actuable through rotation of the plug 24, being provided exteriorly of the casing with the lug 37 which is engageable by a pair of lugs 38 and 39 carried by the stem 39 of the plug for imparting a rotation to said stem 36 when the plug is turned by means of its handle 10. Upon the stem 39 of the plug there is furthermore mounted a pointer 4:1 with which is associated an indicator plate 42 carried by the casing 13, said plate being marked at points 90 apart H'W and S to indicate the proper positions of the plug for respectively adapting the apparatus to function as a water heater or a steam generator.

The thermostat comprises the casing 43 arranged in the pipe line 1 1 and having therein the expansible chamber 14: which in expanding or contracting in response to variations of temperature in the fluid pass ing through the casing 43 actuates the stem 15 upwardly projecting through said casing. Said stem at its upper end is beveled to secure a point bearing upon a lever 46 pivoted at 17 upon a lug carried by the casing 13 closely adjacent to said actuating stem. The movement of said lever is adapted to automatically control the opening of the draft door 48 which communicates with the ash-pit, this control being established by the chain 19 extending from the front end of the lever 46 to the door 48. The movement of the lever 16 is further adapted to control the opening of the cheek-draft door 50 at the rear of the casing 1, this control being established through the linkage 51. Upon the lever 4:6 there is adjustably mounted a weight 32, the purpose of which is to provide a resistance to the movement of the lever actuated by the thermostat as a result of a rise in temperature, said weight being adjusted to determine the maximum desired temperature of the water or steam, the eiiect of the thermostat being to cut off the draft when said temperature is reached.

Means are turthermorg proyided for producing an automatic adjustment of the thermostat mechanism when the handle 40 is adjusted to shift the plug 24: to its position for steam generation. Thus, an arm 53 projects upwardly from the forward portion of the lever and slidably carries the weight 54. Said weight has a headed pin 55 projecting upwardly therefrom, said pin being arched or staple-like in the disclosed embodiment of the invention, which pin is engaged by one end of a link 56 having its other extremity pivoted to an arm 56 rigidly connected to the handle. Thus when the handle is swung from the hot water to the steam position, the link 56 initially slides upward upon the pin 55 and during the latter part of the movement of the handle, said link engages the head of the pin and raises the weight 5 1, so as to free the lever of the restraint exercised by said weight and resisting increase of draft.

Discussing now the operation of the above described apparatus, it is to be understood that the coils 8 and 9 form a water vessel which is adapted for alternative use either for heating water or for generating steam, the quantity of water ted to said coils when the same function merely as a heater being equal to the full capacity of the coils while said quantity is considerably reduced when it is desired to generate steam. This change in the quantity of water fed to the coils is effected by an adjustment of the valve 13 which. as disclosed in Figures 5 and 6, is

12 and by-pass'28, so that the flow of water through the plug is quite limited. 'Because of the concentration of the heat in the fire-- box upon this limited supply of water, steam is generated'in the coils 8 and 9 and more particularly in the former coil, which since it forms a casing for the fire-box is subjected to the higher temperature, the coil 9 functioning primarily as a superheater and drier for the steam. The steam after passing through the soils 8 and 9 enters the plug 24 through one of theports 30 passing out through the other into the valve chamber 31 and thence to the steam delivery pipe 32. By properly adjusting th check-valve 33 the pressure, and consequently the temperature, under which the steam is delivered'may be accurately regulated.

When the plug is adjusted at 90 to the position shown in Figures 5 and 6, the port 25 registers with th pipes 11 and 12, while the port26 registers with the pipes 14 and 15. Thus, a supply of water equal to their full capacity is admitted to the coils 8 and 9Tmdis conducted from said coils back to the tank by way of ipe 15.

The pipes 18 and coil 19 form what may be termed an economizer circuit, establish- 5 ing a circulation system, together with the tank 6, and taking up a certain amount of heat from th furnace-that otherwise might be uselessly dissipated.

Since the water or steam produced by the apparatus passes through the thermostat casing 43, any increase of temperature in said water or steam tends to produce an expansion and a consequent upward movement of the stem 45, while a decrease of temperature produces a reverseeffect. By shifting the weight 52 toward the fulcrum of the lever, the resistance to swinging of the lever, due to a rising temperature is diminished so that with a lesser maximum tem-'- desirable to have a hotter fire than is requisite for the production of hot water, the lever 16 carries the auxiliary weight 54 which, when the apparatus is used for hot water, exerts a constant tendency to swing thelever so as-to diminish th draft while upon adjusting the plug 24 for a steam generation, said weight 54 is'raised by the link 56, relieving the lever of the restraindoor of the ash-pit to open and for the check damper to close. I.

While the invention has been particularly described in its application to an apparatus having a fire-box for solid fuel, it is evident that the same principles of construction and operation may be employed where the fuel is in the nature of liquid or gas.

The invention has a special application for use in laundries and restaurants and is applicable further for use in numerous factory industries where the alternative use of water and steam is required.

lVhat I claim as my invention is:

1. In a combined water heater andsteam generator, the combination with a heating vessel, a tank, alternative means for con necting said vessel to said tank toform a water circulating system and for operating said vessel independently of said tank, as a steam generator, of means for heating said vessel, athermostat subject to the temperatures of the hot water and steam produced in said vessel, mechanism actuable by said thermostat for automatically regulating said heating means, and means for automatically adjusting the thermostatic mechanism to increase the application of heat by said heating means to the vessel when the same is connected for use as a steam generator.

2. In a combined water heater and steam generator, the combination with a vessel alternatively used for heating water and generating steam, of a thermostat subject to the temperatures of the hot water or steam produced in said vessel, means for heating 1 said vessel, mechanism actuable by said thermostat for automatically regulating said heating means, a valve controlling the water supply to' said vessel and adapted to increase or diminish said supply according as the vessel is employed for heating water or generating steam, and means acting in unison with said valve for adjusting the thermostatic mechanism to increase the application of heat by said heating means to as a water heater or steam generator, and

means. actu-able in unison with said valve for adjusting the thermostatic mechanism to increase the draught to the fire. box when the same is employed as a steam generator.

4. In a combined water heater and steam generator, the combination with a. vessel alternatively used for heating water and generating steam, of means for heating said vessel, a thermostat subject to the tempera tures of the hot Water or steam produced in said vessel, a lever actuable by said thermostat, mechanism actuable from said leve-r'for automatically regulating said heat.- ing means, a weight adjustable upon said lever for resisting an increase in the application of heat by said heating means to the vessel, and means for automatically relieving the lever of said weight when the apparatus is changed over from a water heater to a steam generator.

5. In a, combined water heater and steam generator, the combination with a vessel alternatively used for heating water and generating steam, of means for heating said vesse1,a thermostat subject to the tempera tures of the hot water or steam produced in said vessel, a lever actuable by said thermostat, mechanism actuable from said lever for automatically regulating said heating means, a weight adjustable upon said lever for resisting an increase in the application of heat by said heating means to the vessel, a valve adjustable to increase or diminish the supply of water to the vessel accordingas the latter is employed as a water heater or a steam generator, means for actuating said valve and a link actuable by said means engaging said weight for. re lieving the lever of the weight when the valve is adjusted to adapt the vessel for use as a. steam generator.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

AUGUST H. KOHLMEYER. 

